Planoflraph co



E. SCHNEIDER.

WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEBIH, I918- Patented July 22, 1919.

4 SHiETS-SHEET I.

Tm: COLUMBIA PLIiNOclRAPl-l c0.. WASHINdTON. D. c.

E. SCHNEIDER.

'WHEELEAD GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEB. 14. 1918.

Patented July 22, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2 E. SCHNEIDER.

WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.14, 191s.

Patented July 22, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

E. SCHNEIDER.

WHEELED GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 191B.

1 ,3 1 0,889 Patented July 22, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

THE COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co WASHINGTON, D. c.

- nrrnn snares PATENT FFICE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF LE CREUZOT, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR T0 SCHNEIDER & CIE.,OF PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE.

WHEELED GUN-CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1919.

Application filed February 14, 1918. Serial No. 217,192.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the French Republic,and a resident of Le Creuzot, Saone-et-Loire, France, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Wheeled Gun-Carr1ages, which invention isfully set forth in the following specification.

This invention has for its object an improved wheeled gun-carriage. 4

The improved wheeled gun-carriage of this invention is characterized bythe feature that the trail head or head of the undercarriage is made inone piece with, or is mounted on two vertical axle pins, eachconstituting a pivot for a bearing block 1n which is mounted a wheeledaxle capable of oscillating in the vertical plane of the axle. The twocombined wheeled axles thus constitute for the gun-carriage a frontsupport which will readily adapt itself to all inequalities of theground, both during transport and during firing.

An embodiment of this invention is illustrated by way of example in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a side elevation partlyin vertical section-showing thegun-carriage in position for transport.

Fig. 2, is a corresponding plan, after removal of the gun barrel and thecradle.

Fig. 3, is a vertical cross-section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5, are respectively a side elevation and a plan of theimproved gun-carriage in the firing position, and arranged so as toallow of training the gun by horizontal rotation about the trail spade.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic partial plan showing one position of thegun-carriage when making a turn during transport.

As shown, each of the side members A of the trail terminates at itsforward end in an arm B, fixed to a vertical axle pin C. Each of theseaxle pins forms a pivot for a bearing block D, which supports in itsturn the pivot pin E for the oscillation of a wheeled axle GFG. Thesleeve (1 of each of the bearing blocks D should be retained on its ivotpin C by means of a screwed stud II of which the head may be engaged ina varying step I.

The free oscillation of the wheeled axles about the axle pins E allows,as shown in Fig. 3, of providing the gun-carriage with a forward supportthat will readily adapt itself to all the inequalities of the ground.Further, the gim-carriage may be transported, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,where the trail is shown mounted at its tail on a rear wheel axle JKJ,while the oscillating wheeled axles GFG constitute the elements of atractor fore-carriage. The tractor fore-carriage may be completed asfollows o On a part al of polygonal section of the bearing sleeve d ofeach of the oscillating wheeled axles, thereis mounted one end of aconnecting rod L, the other end of which may be pivoted to a swing-treeM for transport. Fig. 6 shows in plan the relativep'ositions of theswing-tree and the fore-carriage n a turning movement.

The improved gun carriage may be brought into firing position in such amanner that the training movements of the gun may be efl ected byrotating the gun-carriage horizontally about its trail spade as a pivot.For this purpose the wheeled axles may be coupled by means of connectingrods whose length is such that when connected together at their freeends L (Figs. 4 and 5) they will lock the bearing blocks D of theoscillating wheeled axle, and then the angle inclosed between the saidbearing blocks will be the exact angle that .will allow the axles F tooscillate in planes that intersect each other in the geometric'axis ofthe pivot pin N provided on. the anchor plate 0. In these circumstancesthe gun-carriage can be rotated horizontally around the pivot N, whilerolling over the ground by means of the wheels G of the oscillatingwheeled axles.

If desired, the coupling of the wheeled axles for bringing thegun-carriage into firing position may be effected by means of connectingrods other than the connecting rods L. These auxiliary connecting rodsmay be attached to the bearing blocks D in the prolongation of theconnecting rods L, as indicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2'.

The trail A of the gun-carriage may carry a cradle P, mounted as shownin Figs. 1 and 2, or mounted so as to rotate horizontally in the usualmanner. The training movement of the gun-carriage by horizontal rotationof the pivot pin N of the anchorage may be produced by any othersuitable means such as wheel gearing for turning the axle wheels, or bytraction exerted upon the connecting rods L, etc.

What I claim is:'

1. In a Wheeled gun-carriage, a trail having forwardly extendinggun-supporting members, a wheeled axle for supporting the forward end ofeach of said members, a bearing block for each axle having a pivotalsupport on and normal to said axle and constituting a bearing supportfor the forward end of a gun-supporting member, and means for couplingsaid blocks together whereby said axles may adapt themselves toinequalities of the ground during transport and during firing.

2. In a wheeled gun-carriage, a trail havingforwardly extending gun-su'aporting members, a wheeled axle for supporting the forward end of eachof said members, a bearing block for each axle having a pivotal supporton and normal to said axle and constituting a bearing" support for theforward end of a gunsupporti'ng member, two con necting rods eachconnected at one end to a bearing block, and a swing-tree connected tothe opposite ends of said rods whereby said axles may adapt themselvesto inequalities of the ground during transport and during firing.

8. In a wheeled gun-carriage, a trail having forwardly extendinggun-supporting members, a wheeled axle for supporting the forward end ofeach of said members, a bearing block for each axle having a pivotalsupport on and normal to said axle and constituting a bearing supportfor the forward end of a gun-supporting member, two connecting rods eachconnected at one end to a bearing block, and means connecting the freeends of said rods to position said axles in planes intersecting in apoint in the longitudinal axis of said gun-supporting trail whereby saidwheeled gun-supports may be trained around the end of the trail as acenter. 7

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses:

ANDRE MosTIoKER, GHAs. P. PRESSLY.

Copies of'this'pat'e'nt may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing tlie Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G.

